One Night at The Wilder Townhouse, Dublin 2
For anyone who plans a city break around the interiors as much as the itinerary, The Wilder Townhouse is a rare find. The Wilder hides behind a red-brick Victorian façade on leafy Adelaide Road, five minutes from St Stephen's Green yet a world away from the city's noise. Built in 1839, it once housed retired governesses in the Dublin of Wilde and Yeats.
A €9.5 million restoration by hoteliers Frankie and Jo Whelehan has since turned it into one of the most quietly stylish stays in the city, and a proper source of ideas to take home.
The Design
Architect Gráinne Webber led the renovation, and her hand is everywhere. The period bones have been kept and celebrated, high ceilings, wood-panelled walls and original fireplaces, then layered with Art Deco lines, dramatic lighting and original Irish art.
Nothing feels museum-like. Jewel tones, velvet and a city-club confidence keep it firmly contemporary, and there is real wit in the detailing, not least the tailors' mannequins standing in for wardrobes.
The Rooms
There are 42 rooms, each individually designed, from neat Shoebox singles to the 50 square metre Lady Jane Suite with its own living area. Whichever you choose, expect polished parquet, king-size beds, vibrant prints and velvet throws in a palette that leans rich rather than safe.
The en-suites hold their own, with walk-in rainforest showers and mosaic tiling. Check-in comes with a complimentary gin and tonic, which sets the mood nicely.
The Food
Breakfast is served in the Garden Room, an airy space of exposed brick, white marble tables and earthy green banquettes under botanical wallpaper, with conservatory doors opening onto a patio.
The spread is generous and Irish: homemade breads, granola and pastries, with hot options like buttermilk pancakes, brioche French toast and eggs however you like them.
The same room does light bites through the day, and come evening the House of Hackney-papered Gin and Tea Rooms takes over, all candlelight and artisan Irish gin.
A Base for the Design-Minded
What makes The Wilder such a good base is what sits on its doorstep. A short stroll brings you to the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre and Article, one of the best-curated homeware shops in the country, while the Irish Design Shop on Drury Street, STABLE of Ireland in the Westbury Mall and the homeware floor at Brown Thomas are all within easy reach.
It is the sort of location that turns a quick overnight into an afternoon of very happy browsing.
Inspiration for Your Home
What The Wilder does so well is show that period character and modern comfort are not at odds. The lesson for home is to work with what a room already has rather than stripping it back: keep the cornicing, the fireplace, the original floor, then layer contemporary pieces over them.
Be brave with colour, a jewel-toned velvet chair or a single wall of bold botanical wallpaper will do more than a whole scheme of safe neutrals.
And leave a little room for wit, because the details that make you smile, like a mannequin where a wardrobe should be, are often the ones you remember.
B&B from €269 via Thewilder.ie or via Ireland's Blue Book
For more inspiring spaces around the world to inform your next decorating or renovating project, check out our Inspiring Space review in every issue and more online.
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